1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a key input apparatus in an electronic oven and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to key input apparatus in electronic oven and control method thereof which are capable of manipulating an operation of the electronic oven using key input signals having various levels.
2. Background of the Related Art
Lately, convenience having various functions in cooking increases a demand for electronic(microwave) ovens. Thus, manufacturers of the electronic ovens make many efforts to adding various functions to the electronic ovens as well as reducing retail and product costs.
A plurality of keys manipulated by a user in various parts constructing the electronic wave make the product cost high. Namely, the keys should be provided for automatic cooking, manual cooking, thaw, warming and the like. For instance, the automatic cooking key further includes additional keys for pop-corn, boiled egg, steamed potato, pizza and the like.
FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram for a key input apparatus in an electronic oven according to a related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, a key input apparatus in an electronic oven includes a switch part 13 receiving key scan signals P01, P02, P03, and P04 having uniform levels and outputting switching signals corresponding to the key scan signals P01, P02, P03, and P04 having the uniform levels by being manipulated by a user, a signal level setting part 12 receiving the switching signals and producing key input signals PIa, PIb, PIc, PId, and PIe having previously-set levels, and a key input control part 11 detecting the key input signals PIa, PIb, PIc, PId, and PIe inputted into digital signal ports and carrying out operations corresponding the detected key input signals, and outputting the key scan signals P01, P02, P03, and P04 to the switch part 13.
The switch part 13 includes input ports 1, 2, 3, and 4 as many as the number(ex. 4) of the key scan signals P01, P02, P03, and P04 to receive the key scan signals respectively, a plurality of key switches Bmn to switch the key scan signals and output ports a, b, c, d, and e to output a plurality of the switching signals. And, the key switches Bmn, for instance, 20 of them({1, 2, 3, 4}xc3x97{a, b, c, d, e}), are arranged as a matrix form so as to switch to output the four key scan signals to the respective output ports a, b, c, d, and e.
The signal level setting part 12 includes resistors R1 to R5 to adjust the levels of the switching signals outputted from the switch part 13 and capacitors C1 to C5 to output stable signals.
Operation of the key input apparatus in the electronic oven according to the related art is explained as follows.
When the key input control part 11 outputs the key scan signals P01, P02, P03, and P04 having uniform levels of uniform cycles to the switch part 13, a user pushes one of the switches randomly so that the switch part 13 outputs one of the key scan signals P01, P02, P03, and P04 as a switching signal to the signal level setting part 12. For instance, when the user pushes the switch B11, the key scan signal P01 is outputted to the signal level setting part 12 through the output port a. The resistor R1 and capacitor C1 included in the signal level setting part 12 then adjusts the level of the switching signal to produce the key input signal PIa and then outputs the produced key input signal PIa to the digital signal input port.
Therefore, the key input control part 11 detecting the key input signal PIa inputted into the digital input port and carries out a cooking operation corresponding to the key input signal PIa.
Meanwhile, other switches having failed to be pushed by the user are at off-state, thereby producing no switching signals.
Unfortunately, the key input apparatus in the electronic oven according to the related art, as the functions of the electronic oven increase, fails to avoid increasing a size of the circuit for producing the key input signals proportionally.
Moreover, the key input apparatus according to the related art should be equipped with a plurality of input ports at the key input control part as well.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a key input apparatus in an electronic oven and control method thereof that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a key input apparatus in an electronic oven enabling to operate the electronic oven by receiving key input signals having various levels through one port.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling a key input apparatus in an electronic oven enabling to operate the electronic oven by receiving key input signals having various levels through one port.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a key input apparatus in an electronic oven according to the present invention includes a signal level producing part receiving input signals having a uniform level and producing signals having various levels, and a control part receiving the signals having the various levels through one input port and carrying out operations corresponding the signals having the various levels.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling a key input apparatus in an electronic oven includes the steps of producing signals having various levels by receiving input signals having a uniform level, detecting levels of the signals having the various levels, and carrying out operations corresponding to the signals having the detected levels, respectively.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.